Word of Salvation – Vol. 26 No. 01 – October 1979

 

The Prince And The Pauper

(A CHRISTMAS STORY)

 

Sermon by Rev. J. W. Westendorp on Luke 2:7

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1–20

 

There is a story someone once wrote called "The Prince and the Pauper". Perhaps our boys and girls know that story.

They may even have seen the film that was based on this story.

It is the story of a boy born to be king. . . . a prince in a palace.

And of another boy who was born and brought up in the back alleys ...in the slums of the city...! A pauper.... the poorest of the poor. Well.... those two boys looked very much alike.... and one day they met. For various reasons the two boys decided to change places:

....the poor beggar boy, the pauper became a prince and then king.

....the prince.... well, he became a dirty beggar boy in rags.

I wonder, boys and girls, whether there is anything in that story that reminds you of the Christmas story! Is there anything there that reminds you of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ! Just keep that story in mind for a moment and we'll come back to it later.

A) THE HUMBLE BIRTH OF JESUS - A REVELATION OF GOD'S WONDERFUL GRACE.

Our text tells us that the birth of Jesus was a very lowly birth - a humble birth.

She gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths. She laid him in a manger.

Our Christmas cards and our nativity scenes usually picture it in a stable. Others say that it was really a cave in which animals sheltered. Still others say it was just a small shed in the courtyard of the inn. Luke doesn't tell us exactly. . . and it doesn't matter too much either. What does matter is that this verse pictures for us a very lowly birth. Everything points to poverty... and to obscurity... even to rejection.

A manger... a cattle feeding trough... that was the baby's bed.

Swaddling cloths... pieces of rag... that was the baby's clothes.

Not too many of us would be proud of that kind of a birth, would we? No proper home. no proper baby clothes no bassinette...!

All rather humiliating really.

The One whose birth is being described here is called THE SECOND ADAM.... And then we can't help making some comparisons:

For the first Adam there was Eden... a beautiful garden.... Paradise.

For the second Adam there is only the animal's feeding trough.

For the first Adam... the fragrance of flowers in a perfect creation.

For the second Adam... the smell of cattle feed and animal manure. What a contrast

He is also called the Son of David... a prince!

But there is no palace for Him..... and no beautiful robes.... and no crown.

Do you begin to see something...?

You see, in our text: The Prince of Peace...
         The Lord Jesus Christ...

He becomes a Pauper too.... the poorest of the poor.

In His humble... lowly birth in Bethlehem that first Christmas night.

Of course, brothers and sisters,
His humiliation lay not only in that manger and in those swaddling cloths,

His humiliation lay EVEN in the fact that He was born at all.

Take away the swaddling cloths and give Him clothes fit for a king...

Take away the manger and replace it with the most luxurious surroundings...

And then we still have humiliation.... lowliness....!

Why! Well, because it is the King of Kings...
  and it is the Lord of Glory
    who becomes Mary's son.

That tiny creature is the Creator of the universe.

That helpless baby is the great Helper of mankind.

That little bundle of life that feeds at Mary's breast.... is the One who feeds all creatures...!

Immanuel....God with us...!

I wonder how often we stop and think about that?

That He became one with us.... like us in all things... sin excepted...!

And that includes His BIRTH,

He the Lord of earth and heaven... He had a birth like ours.

Carried for nine tiring months in Mary's womb.

And then labour pains and spasms of contractions....
     pushed Him into this sinful world of ours.

Born naked; like every other little baby;

With an umbilical cord that had to be cut and tied....!

And then He had to be washed and dried.

She gave birth to her first-born son.

The King of Kings, but in His birth He is on the same level as the poorest of the children of man.

The Prince has indeed become a Pauper.

Of course this is a story with a great deal of appeal.

The whole world celebrates Christmas today.... even communist lands. And everywhere that story will be told.... A moving... .sentimental story that even an atheist can enjoy. Because here one of history's central figures is born in a lowly stable.

The great pity of it though is that thousands of people will see nothing more.

Only a sentimental story.... nice to entertain the kids at Christmas. They get no further than a superficial glimpse....! A shallow look at the birth of a great man in a lowly situation.

But today God calls us to lift up our eyes and behold His grace.... To see a little deeper and marvel at the goodness of God.... Because here God himself stoops down to us on Christmas day.... As the Son of God takes on a human nature.

Today God calls people to see this humble birth.... against the background of His saving work.

The apostle Paul tells us that:

"Though Jesus was in the form of God....
He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped
But emptied Himself, taking on the form of a servant...
Being born in the likeness of men....!"

And then Paul puts that Christmas story with its manger and swaddling cloth right within the context of salvation:

"Being found in human form He humbled Himself....
And became obedient unto death....even death on a cross."

Perhaps the verse in Scripture that puts the humble birth of Jesus into its clearest light is found in 2Cor.8-9....

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
That though he was rich yet for your sake he became poor,
So that by His poverty you might become rich "

And that brings us right back to that story of The Prince and the Pauper: Because in Bethlehem a Prince became a Pauper....

So that we the paupers, poor sinful beggars, might become princes.

For our sake He became poor, so that we by His poverty might become rich.

B) THE INDIFFERENCE TO HIS BIRTH - A REVELATION OF THE NATURE OF THE KINGDOM

Now, congregation, there is another comparison to that story and that film:

One of the things that happened in the story was that when that boy in rags claimed that he was really the prince people didn't believe him.... they laughed at him.... they thought it was a great joke. Some even said he was mad.

How did people later treat Jesus when He told them who He was ?! ?!

Did they fall down and worship Him?

Did they come in their thousands and pay homage to the King of Kings!

No... most of them shook their heads in disbelief.

And others said: He is besides Himself.... He has a demon.

And the sad thing is that already at His birth there is that rejection.

They didn't want to make room for a mother and her unborn baby. Now you might say: Yes....but no one knew that this was Jesus.

And no one was making any claims for Him.

True: But then we remember the words of Jesus....

As surely as you did not do it to one of the least of these....you did not do it to me.

They shut their hearts against the needs of a mother and an unborn baby....!

And so closed their hearts to the claims of the king.

Of course the people in Bethlehem had plenty of excuses: After all there was a census going on.... a population count in progress. Everyone had to go to the city of their forefathers. And many, many people crowded into Bethlehem that night. Crowds were everywhere.

And no doubt there were many people who didn't even know of their plight. Does that excuse them! Well perhaps some.... but many not at all. Here was a woman in need.... about to give birth.... and there was no room. No place for them in the inn.... not even for a woman with child. Too concerned for their own comfort. Too busy with their own well-being and enjoyment. Everywhere the "No Vacancy" signs were hung out. And an expectant mother about to give birth had to go elsewhere.

That indifference and rejection at the time of His birth was really symbolic and a prefiguring of the indifference.... of the rejection.... that accompanied Him during the course of His whole life. He was despised and rejected by men. And at His birth that pattern was already set. There was no room for them in the inn. No room in the lives of all those busy people in Bethlehem.

Jesus once spoke about that rejection that he had to suffer when He said: "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests....But the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Not at His birth.... and not later either. The only room that was found for Him was on a cross. And so in His rejection in Bethlehem we see that behind the crib there looms already the cross.

Things haven't really changed all that much in 2000 years have they? What the people of Bethlehem did in ignorance so many years ago.... That is still what countless thousands do wilfully.... they shut Him out. No room for Him in their busy lives.

Well.... of course they still pay lip service to Him: They say how wonderful Christmas is.... And they send beautiful, expensive cards with lovely pictures of Jesus.... And ́beautiful verses that warm the heart.

But when all is said and done they are really too busy.... Too busy with their break-up parties and holiday plans.... Too busy with their own comfort and enjoyment.... to make room for the Christ child in their lives.... to crown Him as King of their life. And then all the world's carol singing is an empty charade.... because the Jesus they sing about still finds no room.

Sometimes it seems that Christmas today has more to do with (Boag's) beer than Bethlehem.... more with Santa than the Son of God. And before we say too quickly, "Praise God that we are not like that", let me just ask you this: What has been most important for you these last few days?

- Your holidays.... or this holy day?

- Your presents.... or God's gift to us?

Honestly now.... how much room is there in your life for Him!

When we pause and think of the indifference and rejection in Jesus' life,.. Even the indifference that there was already in Bethlehem.... Then we see something of the nature of God's Kingdom here on earth.

Who could believe it anyway?

Who could really understand it?

Looking at that Baby in that feeding trough... that child in swaddling cloths who would ever have dreamed it?

That there lay the fulfilment of the Kingdom of God.

Daniel once spoke of a mighty rock that was hewn out of the mountains. Hewn without human hands... and it rolled down the mountain. And it struck down a mighty image of gold and silver. It ground that image to dust, and it grew to fill the earth That mighty rock is the kingdom of God. And here it comes in the person of that helpless Baby. No wonder that people don't mind celebrating Christmas....No wonder that they don't mind the festivities and the carols. While they keep Him out of their lives. For who can understand that the Prince has become a Pauper! Who can understand that the mighty Kingdom of God comes in humility...?

By nature every human heart would remain indifferent and reject Him...

By nature everyone of us would be as indifferent as the people of Bethlehem.

For these things can only be understood in one way:

And that is: BY FAITH.

That Child.... and He the Judge of heaven and earth!?

That Baby.... and He the realization of the Kingdom of God??

You see, my brother, my sister, you need faith to see that. And then by faith that Baby:

― as He lies there in that manger

― as He lies there wrapped in His swaddling cloths

     Is already a living prophesy of the Kingdom of God:

— Strength in weakness.

— Wise in its foolishness.... do you see that?

This morning, congregation, the Babe of Bethlehem calls us to faith... believe in Him.

Because only by faith will we make room for Him in our lives.... Only by faith do we see the Christmas picture and interpret it rightly:

The King of Kings....
...born among cattle in poverty sore
...living in meekness by Galilee's shore
...dying in shame, as the wicked ones swore.

The Prince a Pauper.

But as a Pauper He gave Himself to redeem us....
To make princes out of us sinful paupers. Jesus.... wonderful Lord,

Amen!